[ YouTube link for mobile viewing ]

Box on BlackBerry 10 brings mobile cloud storage, access, and collaboration to a whole new level. With deep integration into the BlackBerry 10 platform, you’re able to instantly access files and media from your Box account via the File Manager, share files from your device straight to the cloud, and even open and edit them with apps like Documents To Go.

How will you use Box on BlackBerry 10? Share in the comments below.

The newly designed Documents To Go on BlackBerry 10 builds on over 13 years of optimizing our mobile Office suite, and rather than just porting our existing app and feature set from one platform to the next, our mission was to deeply integrate documents into the underlying DNA of the BlackBerry 10 platform for an end-to-end experience that is far greater, more productive and more secure than can typically be achieved as a stand-alone application.

Take a Peek

Since email and attachments go together like peanut butter and jelly, it is no surprise that one of our main focuses of this release was flowing seamlessly from the BlackBerry Hub to previewing an attachment – all without the need to launch a separate application.

Our Word, Excel and PowerPoint file previewers gracefully slide over top of an email message with a “content is king” design strategy. This means that all the clutter of distracting toolbars and options fade away, leaving the user to a glorious full screen view of the document. Within the previewers, you can navigate pages, slides, and worksheets, rotate the device, and zoom in and out on content to determine the next appropriate action, which is typically share, edit, or save.

Tapping ‘share’ flows to a screen where you can select from an array of different options such as email, BBM, and cloud accounts among others. Simply tapping two NFC-enabled BlackBerry smartphones together allows you to instantly transfer files right from the document previewer.

It’s worth mentioning that although the document previewers are accessible from the BlackBerry Hub, they can also be leveraged in other applications such as File Manager or 3rd party solutions. At any time you can peek from the document back to any previous activities. Previewers also exist for other popular file types such as pictures, videos, music, and Adobe PDF files.

Feel Free to Tweak

By no means are we trying to cram all the features and functionality of Microsoft Office on a desktop computer into a mobile form, but instead we are aiming for key scenarios where we can eliminate the need for a laptop or desktop computer.

A great example of this is the reason we are investing so much on our mobile presentation capabilities including rendering the underlying presentation content such as charts, graphics, tables, formatted text and complex slide layouts. If you’re going to invest the time in creating beautiful presentations (and documents and spreadsheets,) we want to ensure that they remain beautiful as they make their way to your BlackBerry 10 smartphone. Once you realize that you can rely on the quality and accuracy of the data being viewed on the device, you’ll then have the confidence to edit and make last minute tweaks on the fly – slowly weaning yourself off of the reliance and delays associated with laptop edits. And when it comes to mobile editing features, we are trying to keep it simple with frequently used actions like adjusting bullets, indentation, spacing, fonts, colors and formatting as well as inserting, copying and pasting text.

Our InTact Technology, which preserves original formatting, goes one step further, and is designed to help ensure that any complex elements that might not make sense on a mobile device (like Macros in Excel) will be maintained when editing and sending updates from your smartphone. Again, you may not edit often, but when you do, we want it to be a tweakin’ awesome experience!

Stand Out While You Speak

Let’s first break down a typical meeting in which you’re aiming to present to a group. Today, you can create the slides in PowerPoint on a desktop computer, laying out the content so it looks pixel perfect with cool slide transitions and effects. Given the efficiencies in doing this on a bigger screen and reliance on a keyboard and mouse, we don’t see this part of the equation changing anytime soon.

However, the next step requires you to lug around a bulky laptop to present the content. This is where we think a mobile device is suited better to fit this need and lighten the load. To do this requires a combination of the right software, hardware and pricing. As mentioned above, Documents To Go now covers the software side with the peeking, tweaking and even a new “presenter mode” that shows speaker notes, upcoming slides and overall progress, while the audience sees only the content being presented. On the hardware side, BlackBerry 10 smartphones use an industry standard micro-HDMI connection plus enough mobile computing power to drive output to an external display including over 125 stunning PowerPoint slide transitions. Since many TVs and projectors include HDMI inputs, this end-to-end experience is now available to the masses whether at work, home, or school. Not only will presentations look great, the presenter is sure to impress when this is all pulled off from a BlackBerry 10 smartphone.

The second way that BlackBerry customers often “speak out” when collaborating on files is when working on a project with another individual. Whether in the same location looking over each other’s shoulders, emailing drafts and comments back and forth, or using a web conferencing solution, we’ve noticed some common themes around the value of real-time discussion and document editing. Yet again, we thought to ourselves that a BlackBerry 10 smartphone is perfectly suited to simplify this process. This is why we are introducing BBM Video with Screen Share, which connects two collaborators as intuitively as making a phone call and then allows them to both see the same file in real-time and discuss as needed.

Eliminate the IT Mobile File Freak Out

As mentioned, many individuals have always wanted mobile access to their files, but at the same time, IT continues to struggle with ways to secure corporate documents without being too overbearing. With BlackBerry Balance on BlackBerry 10, we are addressing this issue by storing corporate data in an encrypted Work space. All of this happens automatically behind the scenes, so let’s take a closer look at how this applies when peeking at an attachment, making edits, and then saving or sharing those files.

First off, when an email is pushed to your device, BlackBerry Hub is smart enough to know which account is work and which is personal. If a work email contains an attachment, no problem, just go about your business. You can preview the file and edit to your heart’s content. It’s not until you go to share it or save it that the underlying security features kick to for example, prevent you from accidentally leaking corporate data. Now this doesn’t mean that you’ll be totally restricted. As you can see from the above screens, you’ll be prompted to store corporate attachments in the work space of the device with a little suitcase icon indicating where the file is headed. And although IT admins ultimately have the last say when it comes to corporate files, in many cases they will allow the ability to save content to popular cloud providers and enterprise network drives for the productivity gained when enabling these existing document workflows, so long as they can track and restrict as needed.

As the name suggests, BlackBerry Balance really does “balance” the needs of users and administrators, and when you combine it with Documents To Go, we are achieving a complete end-to-end flow that is unlike any other mobile platform today. In fact, we’re just getting started and we are very excited for many of the additional features to come as we continue to work on the BlackBerry 10 platform and amazing document experiences!

Learn more at www.blackberry.com/DocumentsToGo

The LinkedIn app update makes it even easier to stay connected on the go by allowing you to sync and merge your LinkedIn connections with existing BlackBerry contacts in your address book. And, with the new “Groups and More” tab, you can view saved and recommended jobs and access, add, view and participate in the groups that matter to you most.

Jobs

The new LinkedIn “Groups and More” tab allows you to access even more key areas of LinkedIn right from the navigation screen, including jobs. With this feature, you can easily access the jobs you’ve saved and browse ones that are recommended for you. And remember, when you’re done looking at jobs you can get back to the main navigation screen by tapping the LinkedIn logo at the top left-hand corner of the app.

Groups

LinkedIn 2.1 makes it even easier to stay up-to-date with the groups that are most important to you. The “Groups and More” tab makes it simple to access groups that you’ve already joined and participate by viewing and adding content. You can also easily view pending group memberships and access a list of groups that LinkedIn recommends for you and join them with just one tap.

Contact Sync

With the new Contact Sync feature, finding out detailed professional information about the colleagues in your next business meeting is as easy as looking them up in your address book. The app allows you to connect your existing BlackBerry contacts with your LinkedIn connections, and where no contact exists, the app can optionally create a new one for you. This helps to make keeping track of your business connections and interactions easier than ever.

We can’t wait for you to try these new features that make the new LinkedIn app even more interactive and in turn make you more productive. Download LinkedIn 2.1 for BlackBerry smartphones today to ensure that you have the latest tools to put your professional network in the palm of your hands.

Once you’ve gotten the update, check out our BlackBerry for Business discussion group on LinkedIn – a place for professionals, administrators, and business owners discuss the latest on BlackBerry solutions and trends, as well as a touch-point for you to speak with us directly.

Which new feature are you most excited to try out? Let us know in the comments below.

Note: The LinkedIn app for BlackBerry smartphones requires BlackBerry OS 6 or higher, as well as a Wi-Fi connection or data plan in order to function properly. Learn more about regional availability and language preferences on the BlackBerry World storefront.

Today I’m excited to announce that we’ve launched the official BlackBerry Spiceworks page, the newest online BlackBerry for Business channel! Spiceworks is an online community for IT professionals and network administrators with over 2 million current members. Here’s some of what you can look forward to from our community:

• Information catered to IT administrators, including feeds from our other social media channels
• Updates on the upcoming BlackBerry 10 platform, particularly as it relates to BlackBerry for business
• The latest on BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10, and how to get your business ready for cross-platform management of smartphones and tablets, including BlackBerry 10
• Access to Research In Motion employees for questions, feedback, and product support

A BlackBerry-focused Spiceworks group is also available, with over 12,000 members and nearly 600 topics already posted.

We look forward to connecting with you – check us out on Spiceworks and share your feedback in the comments below!

Many of us, particularly readers of this blog, use our BlackBerry® smartphones and tablets to get things done at work or on the road. We’re business users, and while we do love all of the personal apps and social experiences that the devices offer, we’re also passionate about productivity and staying on top of our tasks. One place that we all come together is the BlackBerry for Business discussion group on LinkedIn.

Beyond editing the BlackBerry for Business Blog, I also have the pleasure of being the community manager for this LinkedIn group. The discussions are always spirited and engaging, and range from app recommendation requests to discussions on maximizing ROI from BlackBerry solutions.

10,000 Members!

Our little group is not so little anymore – we just recently hit 10,000 members, and I’d like to share a quick video message with the group and the BlackBerry for Business blog to express how much we appreciate all of the contributions and participation. Check out the video below:

[ YouTube link for mobile viewing ]

If you haven’t checked out the group yet, be sure to head over to http://bbry.lv/BlackBerryforBusiness and check it out! To get you hooked, here are a few of the discussion topics that have recently been posted – come on in and share your thoughts!

• Just Announced: The official BlackBerry 10 launch event will be on Jan. 30, 2013!
• Does anyone have a good note taking app for the PlayBook?
• How safe is your mobile data?
• Will my BlackBerry Services work on Wi-Fi if I am on international roaming? I don’t have an international data plan.
• A day in the life of my BlackBerry PlayBook

Are you ready to dive in? Head over to the BlackBerry for Business discussion group and get started. And again, THANK YOU to all of the members – let’s work on that next 10,000!

Note: LinkedIn, the LinkedIn logo, the IN logo and InMail are registered trademarks or trademarks of LinkedIn Corporation and its affiliates in the United States and/or other countries.

LinkedIn™ is well known as a social network for expanding and maintaining professional relationships. Lately, many LinkedIn users have also been turning to the social networking tool as a way to connect directly with brands that frequently update their LinkedIn profile and groups with product updates, company news, and information about events.

In case you haven’t done so already, two great ways to connect with Research In Motion® (RIM®) on LinkedIn are the Research In Motion company page and the BlackBerry® for Business discussion group. Follow RIM on LinkedIn by clicking on the “Follow” button on the right side of the Research In Motion company page so that you don’t miss any important news or updates.

If you are already connected with Research In Motion, many thanks! Our Company Page is a hub of information that focuses on providing updates on our company, products, resources, sales contacts, and more.

To be more specific, on the main page, you’ll see that we’ve been using status updates to share news, product information, and case studies. In addition to this, the Products and Service tab is full of fantastic information that provides product descriptions, sales contacts, and customer reviews for many of our products. If you’re in the market for a 4G LTE™ BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet, a new BlackBerry® 7 OS smartphone, or looking to upgrade to BlackBerry® Mobile Fusion, take a look at the Products and Services tab and see what others are saying about our products — there are over 600 recommendations! You can provide your own product recommendations on this page and let us know which features you love too.

Another way to connect with RIM on LinkedIn is through the BlackBerry for Business group. This group is a community comprised of business professionals and IT decision makers who contribute to an information hub of best practices, advice, case studies and knowledge sharing, all relating to using BlackBerry for and within business.

Some of our recent discussion topics include: smartphone functionality twenty years from now, concerns in business mobility, and BlackBerry Mobile Fusion. I really cannot say enough about the insightful information and tips that this group shares with each other. To become a member, click the “Join Group” button at the top of the BlackBerry for Business group homepage.

We love talking to members of our community and hearing their stories, feedback and advice. Join us on LinkedIn and share you experiences!

Connect with RIM through social media:

• Follow our Research In Motion company page on LinkedIn
• Join our BlackBerry for Business group on LinkedIn
• Follow @BlackBerry4Biz on Twitter®
• Subscribe to the BlackBerry Channel on SlideShare®
• Subscribe to the BlackBerry Channel on YouTube®